Combined electric starter, battery recharger, and engine supercharger



March 25,1930. v 5 APPLE 1,752,224

'COMBINED ELECTRiG STARTER, BATTERY RECHARGER, AND ENGINE SUPERCHARGER Filed Dec. 7, 1928 INVENTOFP.

Patented Mar. 25, 1933 v UNITED STATES PAT ENT oFFic VINCENT e. APPLE, or DAYTON, OHIO COIIBINED ELECTRIC STARTER, BATTERY RECHARGER, AND ENGINE SUPERCHARGER Application filed December 7, 1928. Serial No. 324,434.

This invention relates to apparatus applicae ble to internal combustion engines, and comprises the usual combination of a battery, a dynamo electric machine adapted to be driven by stored energy fromthe battery to start the engine, a means to convert a portion of the energy of combustion into electrical energy to replace that drawn from the battery in starting the engine and to create a surplus for igni-.

tion, lighting and other purposes, together I with a blower for supercharging the engine, all on the same shaft, interconnected and mutually dependent.

The object of the invention is to utilize the power in the exhaust gases of the engine which are normally wasted, both to drive a dynamo, to keep the battery charged and to drive a blower to supercharge the engine.

I attain this object by the combination of 0 elements shown in the single figure of the ac- 12 attached thereto. A shaft 13 has bearings 14'andl5 in the fly wheel housing. Pinion 16 rotatable by shaft 13 thru key 17 may be i moved axially on said shaft to engage ring gear 12 when engine 10 is to be started inasmuch as key 17 fits tightly in its seat in shaft 13 but freely in the keyway which extends lengthwise thru the pinion and its spool like 5 hub 18.

A pedal 19 pivoted at 20 carries pin 21 which engages groove 22 of pinion hub 18 to shift pinion 16 axially into mesh with gear 12. A spring 23 is adapted to return pinion '16 to its normal out of engagement position."

In the position on'engine 10 usually occupied by a starting motor is mounted a starting generating dynamo 24, which consists of a frame 25 carrying field coils 26, a brush-covplaces metal bridge 33 across contacts 34 and 35, and cables 36 thru cutout 37 furnish the battery recharging circuit.

Fixed to the other end of shaft 13 is a turbine wheel 38. A casing 39 surrounds the wheel and a nozzle box 40 receives the-exhaust gases from engine 10 thru manifold 41. Nozzlcs 42 change the pressure of the exhaust gases to velocity before they strike the wheel buckets 43, and a bypass valve 44 may be opened by lever 45 to permit some or all of the gases to escape without passing thru the wheel.

Intermediate turbine wheel 38 and a shaft bearing 14 is a blower 46 for increasing the volumetric efficiency of the engine cylinders. The blower comprises a chamber 47 containing the impeller 48 secured to shaft 13 by key 49. Chamber 47 has air inlet'ports 50 and an outlet 51 connected to the intake manifold of the engine by pipe 52.

The system operates as follows;

I Pedal 19 is depressed until contacts 34 and 35 are joined by bridge 33 and pinion 16 is meshed with gear 12.v Current then flows from battery 32 thru starting generating dynamo 24, whereupon engine 10 is rotated by electric power.

While starting generating dynamo 24 is rotating the engine it is also turning turbine wheel 38 and impeller 48. The turning of wheel 38 has the efiect ofscavenging the cylinders by creating a slight vacuum in manifold 41 while rotation of impeller 48 has the effect of providing a slight supercharge for the cylinders at starting.

When the engine starts and runs on its own power pedal 19 is released to separate contacts 34 and 35 and to withdraw pinion 13 from gear 11, after which the armature 30 and the impeller 48 are revolved by turbine wheel 38 to recharge the battery and to supercharge the engine. Cutout 37 operates in the usual manner to close the circuit when sufficient voltage is being generated to overcome the battery voltage. Bypass valve 44 operable by lever 45 may be employed to govern the speed of wheel 38 or to suspend its operation entirely.

Having described mechanism embodying my invention, I claimi 1. In combination, an internal combustion eng ne, a blower adapted to superchargesa-ld engine, an electricstorage battery, a gas turbine adapted to be driven by the exhaust,

gases of said engine, a starting generating dynamo and means whereby said starting generating dynamo may take power from said ing dynamo, said blower, turbine and starting generating dynamo being joined together for simultaneous .rotation,vwhereby the engine, the turbine,'and the blower-may be rotated by the starting generator dynamo until -the engine is started and the blower and starting generator dynamo are rotated by the turbine after the engine is started.

3. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a blower, a blower impeller adapted to snpercharge said engine, a gas turbine, a;

turbine wheel adapted .to be driven by exhaust gases from said engine, a storage battery, a starting generatingdynamo including an armature adapted to receive power from said battery to start said engine and'afterward to recharge said battery, a common shaft to which the turbine wheel, the blower impeller and the armature are secured for simultaneous rotation and means to connect and disconnect said shaft to and from said engine.

4. In combination, aninternal combustion engine, an engine shaft, a gear on said engine shaft, a-blower, a blower impeller adapted to supercharge said engine, a gas turbine, a turbine wheel adapted to be driven by exhaust gases from said engine, a storage-battery, a

starting generating dynamo, an armature adapted to receive power from said battery to start said engine and thereafter to recharge said battery, an auxiliary shaft adjacent and parallel to the said engine shaft, the turbine wheel, the blower impeller and the armature being secured to said shaft for simultaneous rotation therewith, and a pinion on said auxiL iary shaft adapted to be moved axially into andout of engagement with said gear.

5. In combination, an internal combustion engine, an engine shaft, an intake manifold for said engine, a blower adapted to discharge into said intake manifold, an impeller for said blower, a gas turbine, an exhaust manifold for said engine adapted to discharge into said gas turbine, a turbine wheel, a starting generating dynamo, an armature, a common shaft having the blower impeller, the turbine wheel and the armature sec'ured' thereto I for simultaneous rotation therewith, and

means to connect and disconnect said common engine, a blower adapted to discharge into said intake manifold, an impeller for said blower, a gas turblne, a turbine wheel, a starting generatlng dynamo, a armature, a common shaft having the blower impeller, the

turbine wheel and the armature secured thereto for rotation therewith, means'to connect said common shaft to and from said engine shaft, a conduit connecting said exhaust manifold to said turbine, and means to vary the carrying capacity of said conduit.

73 The combination of an internal combustion engine with auxiliary mechanism comprising a gas turbine, a blower, and a starting generating dynamo joined to rotate in unison, said engine beingadapted to exhaust into said turbine, and said blower being adapted to discharge into said engine.

8. The combination of an internal combustion engine. with auxiliary mechanism comprising a gas turbine, a blower, and a starting generating dynamo joined to rotate'in unison, said engine being adapted to exhaust into said turbine, said blower being adapted to discharge into said engine, and said mechanism being adapted to be mechanically connegized or disconnected from said engine at W1 9. The combination of an internal combustion engine and a storage battery with auxiliary mechanism comprising'a gas turbine, a blower and a starting generating dynamo joined tov rotate in'unisom'said engine being adapted to exhaust into said turbine, said blower being adapted to discharge into said. engine and said starting generating dynamo $0,. The combination of an internal c0m bustion engine and a storage battery with auxiliary mechanism comprising a gas turbine, a blower and a starting generating dynamo joined to rotate in unison, said en- 1 being adapted to be connected to said battery.

gine being adapted to exhaust intosaid turbine, said blower being adapted to discharge into said engine and means to mechanically connect said auxiliary mechanism to said en-' gine and electrically connect said starting impeller, a starting generating dynamo armature, a pinion, a gear, an engine shaft and an auxiliary shaft, said engine being con-' nected to said turbine to exhaust into said auxiliary shaft to engage and disengage said ear.

b In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand. 4

- VINCENT G. APPLE. 

